Anthropogenic transformation of the coastal zone continues at a steady pace, especially in the developing maritime countries, where coastal resources are often crucial to national economies. However, exploitation of these resources is often indiscriminate, ill planned, or carried out without adequate scientific knowledge. This leads to rapid resource depletion, and often irreversible environmental degradation. The 1992 Rio de Janeiro UN Conference on Environment and Development recognized the expediency of an integrated and sustainable use of all coastal resources, functions and services grounded on sound scientific data.
The present volume is based on the 1994 international workshop Integrated Coastal Zone Management, and brings together contributions by leading specialists both on basic concepts and on applications of coastal management. The work is divided into six parts, dealing with the conceptual framework of ICZM; regional and global aspects of coastal management; environmental assessment in ICZM; capacity building and technology transfer; monitoring and environmental analysis; and case studies and status of ICZM plans. The book also incorporates an interactive ICZM planning module, COSMO, which can be of use in designing a management plan for a coast. Attention is also given to long-term environmental effects of present-day actions. It is hoped that COSMO will prove an additional learning tool for ICZM practitioners and enhance the value of the book.
This work is intended to give a broad coverage of conceptual and technical aspects of ICZM, and will be of use to operational executives as well as students of ICZM, environmental economists, policy-makers and senior managers in the international development agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations. It can be recommended as a textbook and as a reference work.

Inhalt
1: The Conceptual Framework of Integrated Coastal Zone Management.- 1: Ecology and Economics: Implications for Integrated Coastal Zone Management.- 2. Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Developing Maritime Countries.- 3. Participation of Local Authorities and Communities in Integrated Coastal Zone Management.- 2. Regional and Global Aspects of Integrated Coastal Zone Management.- 4. Regional and Global Oceanographic, Climatic and Geological Factors in Coastal Zone Planning.- 5. Effect of Terrestrial Processes and Human Activities on River Discharge and their Impact of the Coastal Zone.- 6. Physical Environmental Change and Coastal Zone Management. Estimation of Economic Consequences.- 3. Environmental Assessment in Integrated Coastal Zone Management.- 7. Role of Environmental Impact Assessment in Integrated Coastal Zone Management.- 8. Strategy for Monitoring the Environment in the Coastal Zone.- 4. Capacity Building and Technology Transfer Issues.- 9. Capacity Building for Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Countries of South Asia.- 10. Partnerships in Marine Science: The Dutch Experience in Transfer of Knowledge.- 5. Monitoring and Environmental Analyses.- 11. Animal Biomarkers as Stress Indicators: Assessing the Health of Organisms in the Environment.- 12. Carbon, Sulfur and Nitrogen Biogeochemistry of Tropical Mangrove Sediments.- 6. Case Studies Coastal Zone Management Experiences and Status.- 13. Coastal Zone Management Experiences in the Netherlands.- 14. Ecuador's Participatory and Adaptive Approach to Integrated Coastal Management.- 15. Coastal Zone Management in the Islands of Western Indian Ocean.- 16. African Coastal Areas and their Management for Sustainable Development.- 17. Natural and Human Threats to Biodiversity in the Marine Ecosystem ofCoastal Pakistan.- 18. Management of the Indus Delta Mangroves.- 19. Status of Marine Pollution in the Context of Coastal Zone Management in Pakistan.- 20. Economic Development and Integrated Management Issues in Coastal China.- COSMO An Integrated Coastal Zone Management Planning Simulation Module.- List of Contributors.